The Path of The Sword
by SF Kitty
Summary: OneShot FE6. The once Sword Demon Karel may be a good influence after all. Fir, his niece, and Rutgar, a young swordmaster, seek wisdom from him, but how will they interpret the wise words the Sword Saint gives them. FirxNoah, RutgarxClarine


The Path of the Sword

Summary: (One-Shot) FE6. The once Sword Demon Karel may be a good influence after all. Fir, his niece, and Rutgar, a young swordmaster, seek wisdom from him, but how will they interpret the wise words the Sword Saint gives them. (FirxNoah, RutgarxClarine)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem.

AN: So… yeah, enjoy.

* * *

Karel stood in the sparring field watching his niece Fir train by herself. She has a petite figure, barely even an adult and ignorant to the world. Her black hair was tied back with a blue ribbon and she wore a blue one piece dress with a white loose jacket and blue boots and fingerless gloves. A belt strapped across her torso and around her waist to create shape in her dress. 

Weeks ago, she was training with the Paladin Noah, now she was alone. He watched as her once lithe and fluid movements became rigid and stiff. Her sword dropped at least three times during the hour.

"Fir," He walked up to her, "Stop or else you will hurt yourself."

"Sorry, Uncle, I could not concentrate." Fir held her head down.

"Yes, I have notice. Why? Is it because of the paladin?"

Her face flushed but she said nothing. After a short time, she spoke, "Uncle, please teach me the way of the sword! I want to know how to become stronger! I want to be strong like you and mother!"

"The way of the sword cannot be taught…" Karel shook his head with a sigh.

"That's not true! Uncle, you and mother were masters of the sword. She was the Sword Princess and you are the Sword Saint! What sword did you use? A Killing Edge?"

Karel's wise brown eyes looked at her large grey ones, "Fir, there's no strength in a piece of metal. A sword is a metal blade with a pommel and a hilt. Since I was born, I lived the path of the sword. My family lived the path of the sword, and by my hands, your mother and I were the only ones left. I have gained strength and insight, but my sword never gained any power. True strength is not in the weapon; it is in all of us, your mother, me, and including you, Fir."

"Me…?" Kareal nodded. "My mother, how was she like? You must've known her the best."

"Perhaps you should ask your father. This subject, I am no expert in. Your mother and I may be siblings, but I never knew her other than my rival."

"Yes, Uncle, sorry to have bothered you."

As Karel watched Fir walked back to camp, another Swordmaster came up from behind him.

"Do you need something, Rutgar?' He asked without turning.

"I need you ask you something…" Karel turned around and nodded for Rutgar to continue. The younger Swordmaster had long brown hair and a sharp clean face. His grab was a red Secaean traveler grab. His eyes were a beautiful almond shape.

"Master Karel, your sword, your sword is unlike mine. It seems that it was not made for killing, yet you seem to blend with the air around to your every whim when you attack. Even the heaviest and strongest blades can't cut through air but your sword would beat them all. I want to become stronger. If all paths of the sword lead to one place, would I be able to blend with the air as you do?"

"You are from Sacea, am I correct?"

"…Yes, but…"

Kareal cut him off, "I was born in Sacae as well. I grew up under the protection of our Father Sky and our Mother Earth. They are with me. I learned from them as any Sacaean."

"I'm not a pure Sacaean, half of my blood is from Bern. I am unable to sense them like you do..."

"But was this true when you were younger?" Rutgar's attention snapped and he looked at

Karel. "You were able to hear the sky and the earth once before and you will again. Your hate is preventing you from hearing them."

"Do you believe I will be able to hear them once the war has ended?"

"Of course you will. Once you shed yourself from the hate that is in your heart, you will heard them once again. The breeze that runs through the plains, runs in your blood... May it be only half, but you are part of the Sacae." Karel smiled, "Close your eyes and listen. You may even hear it speak to you now."

Rutgar did as the wiser and older Swordmaster asked. He closed his eyes and listened; he started with even breathing, and then opened his ears and heart to the world.

"Rutgar!" His concentration broke as the voice came from behind him. He opened his eyes to see he was alone, only with the Valkyrie.

"What do you want?" He turned around irritated. The Valkyrie smiled. She was small with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail with bangs and some of her hair down to her shoulders.

"I was looking all over for you!" Clarine shouted in glee, "Come with me, I have something for you! Oh, you'll love it!"

"I don't want it." He replied bluntly. "I have to train, leave me alone."

"But, you can't train by yourself. I'll go get Dieck for you."

"Clarine," Rutgar stopped her, "Why do you constantly come and annoy me? Do you find joy in pestering me? When will you understand that you and I are from different parts of the world?"

"Oh, I know. You're from Sacea near the boarder of Bern and that's east of where I'm from, Etruria I already know that!" She smiled.

Rutgar let out a deep sigh, "Clarine, I don't like you! I never did. An Etruria Noble and Sacae Plainsman is unheard of. When did you get that idea in that dense skull of yours?"

"B-b-but you said before… that…" She bit her lip and her large purple eyes glazed over with tears.

"I didn't say anything. Forget about me. Go to that knight, whatever his name is."

"You mean Lance?" Clarine asked bitterly. "But I want to be with…" She looked away and wrapped her arms around herself, "Oh, never mind. Fine, I shall go to him. Perhaps he will like my gift... But it was for you…" She brought her hand to her face as she walked away, but then she broke into a run and disappeared from Rutgar's sight.

* * *

Karel watched as the little Valkyrie ran away from the Swordmaster. With a sigh, he turned and walked back to his tent, but along the way he saw his niece and the Paladin Noah. He watched as Fir turned to run, just like Clarine, but Noah grabbed her arm. He spoke something that caused Fir's eyes to widen. Her head shook and she broke free. Noah closed his eyes and sighed as he went to sit down by the fire. 

Night was already rolling in as the sun began to set over the horizon.

"Master Karel…?" Noah looked up to see the old Swordmaster sit beside him. Noah, the Paladin, had his blue armor beside him from the day's sparring. His short black hair was disheveled and his dark blue eyes were set on Karel.

"Sir Noah, about the story you told me about that Sacaean man that saved your village. I must confess to you," Karel started, "Keeping silent to cover up my shame would be stepping off the path of the sword." He added under his breath, "Heh, path of the Sword…"

"Shame? Master Karel, you saved my village and me. You came to my village and killed the bandits, leaving none alive to every come back. Because of you, I'm here today. Ever since you came, bandits began avoiding my village. Master Karel, because of you I met someone special…"

He shook his head, "I was a demon possessed by the sword. I wander aimlessly looking for people to satisfy my lust for blood." Karel looked at him, "It is the truth. As long as I could cut, as long as I could kill, it didn't matter who it was, even my family. You have no reason to thank me. They call me the Sword Saint, but it is a false name."

"But... I can't imagine what you say is true when I look at you now. You are standing before me now as the Sword Saint. The man I have known by my mother's story. What... What happened for this change...?"

"Some times, you will only realize after you have lost something precious to your heart. By the time my foolishness had left me, it was already too late. She was gone, and I didn't know until her husband told me. My sister was the only family that I had and now I have a niece and a brother. I learned to live, not by the path of the sword, but for those I love. Don't be foolish like me." With those last words, Karel left Noah to finally retire in his tent for the night. As he got up, he noticed there was someone else listening. The brown haired Swordmaster came back from the fields to overhear the story.

When Karel reached the entrance of his shared tent, he was finally left in peace; however, his niece came looking for him.

"Uncle! Please tell me!"

"What, Fir? What do you want to know?"

"Earlier today, please tell me. What is true strength? Which is the correct path to take? What...what must I do?"

Karel sighed, "Fir. You always wanted to follow in my and your mother's foot steps, but now, you think differently, do you not?" Fir silently nodded. "Little Fir. You are not your mother, nor are you me. The path you seek does not lie behind us. It lies in front of you. It is you who must create a path for yourself."

"In front of me?" Fir looked up at her uncle as he placed his hands on her shoulder. "Yes," Karel turned her around, "In front of you. This isn't something to be taught. This is something that you learn when you open your heart. You will be blind not to see it. Fir, let your heart decide."

Fir gasped when she saw directly in front of her was Noah. He was alone by the fire, where Karel left him. Noah sat hunched over with his hands in his hair. "Thank you Uncle." Karel only lightly shoved her forward, before, finally retiring to his tent.

"Have you seen, Fir?" His brother-in-law, Bartre asked as Karel entered the tent. "I thought I heard her shout.

Karel replied as he fell on the bed, not wanting to speak any longer, "No, I'm sorry I have not. Today has been a long day, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. Tomorrow, we meet the Dark Dragon. Roy has decided we will not join him."

"Who will?"

"Fir." Bartre replied, "I'm worried for her."

Karel smirked, "There is no need for worry. Fir is well trained and with us supporting her, nothing will happen."

* * *

Rutgar went back to his tent to retire for the night. Roy had informed him that he was one of the ten that would fight the Dark Dragon. Shin, the Nomadic Trooper and his roommate, sat on his bunk stringing his Silver Bow. 

"Rutgar, there's a package for you," he said without looked up.

Rutgar looked at his bunk to see a long rectangular box. The box was white with a purple ribbon wrapped around it. He stepped closer to it to see there were water stains along the ribbon and parts of the white box. He began to unwrap the box when he saw a card.

He set the card aside before continuing opening the box. The box opened to reveal a Wo Dao. He picked up to test its blance and length. A smirk came to his face to find the Wo Dao perfect. Upon closer examination, he saw his name was craved in an elegant font on the hilt pommel. Setting the sword down, he picked up the card and opened it.

The beautiful calligraphy was smudged by, what Rutgar concluded, was tears. It was barely legible.

"Who brought this?"

Shin looked up with a frown, "What kind of question are you asking?"

"Who brought this?" Rutgar repeated.

"Guess." He replied, "You should already know."

"Clarine?"

"Correct."

Without another word, Rutgar left the tent to look for Clarine. He walked to Clarine's shared tent to find it empty. As he turned to walk away, an arrow flew by his head and another nipped his arm.

"So sorry!" Klein, Clarine's older brother, came running to him with a smile on his face.

The blonde hair Sniper repeated, "Sorry! I was trying to use two arrows at one time. Are you hurt?"

"A scratch." Rutgar looked at his arm to see it was bleeding. "Why are you shooting arrows in the camp? You might have killed someone."

"Oh, I didn't know." Klein replied sarcastically, "Really? I'll think of that next time. You better get that healed. May be Ellen is around or you can ask any of the Sages. My sister is occupied with Lance." He left Rutgar to retrieve his arrows.

As Rutgar searched the camp for Clarine, he finally found her by the fire with Noah, Fir, and Lance. Fir was sitting on Noah's lap; they both were smiling and laughing. Clarine sat by Lance's side.

"Haha!" Clarine laughed facing Lance who was also laughing. "I can't believe you did that! What did Sir Marcus say?"

"I didn't tell him yet! I rather not or else I will have to clean the stables for one month."

"What are you planning to do now?" Noah asked with Fir on his lap with his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Clarine." Rutgar interrupted them.

"Hmm?" Clarine turned to see him, "Oh. Yes, Rutgar?" She asked keeping her good nature. She looked at him and her eyes widen, "RUTGAR! You're hurt! What happened? Forgive me, Sir Lance, I have to tend to him. I'll listen to your story tomorrow. Sir Noah, Fir, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course, Milady." The green haired Lance replied.

"Come on," Clarine told Rutgar as she walked to her tent, "Tell me what happened?"

"Your insane brother was training and I believe I was the target."

"Don't call my bother insane. Klein wouldn't do that… Oh! I'm sorry, Rutgar… It's probably my fault." Clarine went into her tent and came out with a Mend Staff. In seconds, as Clarine held the staff to the cut, the scratch was healed. "I'm—"

Rutgar replied, cutting her off. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. After tomorrow, if we defeat the Dark Dragon, I'm going back to Etruria and you'll go back to the Sacae plains. I… I, well, there's no point in talking anymore. Good night, Rutgar. I'll see you on the battlefield tomorrow." She turned to walk away.

"Clarine, thank you for the Wo Dao," She stopped walking. "But, I can't read what you wrote on your card."

"Good." Clarine replied and continued walking, while increasing her pace with every step.

An arrow whizzed through the air before Rutgar would move. The arrow landed inches away from his foot. Ignoring it, Rutgar ran after Clarine. More arrows came raining down at him from behind. With his agility, he dodged all of them.

"Clarine!" He called after her.

She halted to a stop and turned around, glaring, "What?" The arrows stopped.

"I want to know," Rutgar said, holding out the card.

"…" Her glare disappeared and her gaze fell onto her shoes. She said something.

"What?" Rutgar stepped forward dropping the card on the ground.

"I…umm… It says, thank you for saving me that day. I'm reunited with my brother and we're going home after tomorrow. Even if you don't care about me, I care about you. I hope you use the sword to achieve your dream...Follow the path of the sword… Umm… and…"

"There's more, isn't there?" Rutgar stepped up and embraced the Valkyrie. "You're cute, you know that?"

Clarine returned his embrace, "I love you."

"I love you too, but you know, you know that I have to part with you. It's inevitable."

"Yes, I knew that. My dear friend Priscilla once loved someone she couldn't be with. She told me she cried when he left. I will be strong and when we part, I will not cry. Not anymore."

"And, could you stop your crazy brother from shooting at me tomorrow?"

"Alright." She laughed.

* * *

Do they seem OOC? Oh well... please be nice and review with your gracious comments/flames. 


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